The Club builds and operates layouts in a variety of scales.
Bow Junction – Loco erection
Work continues on the Loco erection building for Bow Junction. As you can see from the photo I have screwed the 4 sides of the building together so that I can start building the roof , which is designed so that it can be lifted off. I have placed the piece of foam board so …read more.
Apr 28, 2020
Rolling Roads
Over the last few weeks, we’ve had a number of blogs with models sitting on rolling roads – probably because we can’t get to our test tracks to show the models working. There are a surprising variety out there – here’s a selection, which we’ll update as we find more… Example 1 – The Mazero …read more.
Apr 26, 2020
A new test track – Home working for Orchard Wharf
Converting a lot of OO locos and rolling stock to EM gauge is the sort of job that is best done at home. I’ve had an EM gauge test track for some time, but it’s only a 5ft straight track. This is no good for checking, for example, clearances on curves and points, of which …read more.
Apr 25, 2020
Converting a Dapol Sentinel Shunter to Scale 7
Before the conversion – a quick explanation of ScaleSeven. The models are exactly the same size as O gauge – with a scale of 7mm to 1ft . The difference is in both the gauge of the track – which is 33mm between the rails – and a wheel profile which matches closely the real …read more.
Apr 24, 2020
Quintart Build – Part 2
The bodies all follow the same principle for construction and just to confuse things these pictures aren’t all of the same coach. A reminder, this is how they come: As well as sanding off the pips where the elements are joined in the printing, there was a small amount of filing of some window frames. …read more.
Apr 23, 2020
Converting a Hornby Class 101 to EM Gauge
I’ve already got a blue Class 101 DMU for Minories. which was re-wheeled several years ago. This is the equivalent model in green, which I bought at a price it was difficult to refuse as part of a batch of stock that looked a bit mucky, presumably after being left out for a long time …read more.
Apr 21, 2020
Ingatestone Update – level crossing and backscenes
Although we can’t work on the layout at Keen House, luckily we managed to get some projects home before the lockdown, and making progress. I’ve been filling in more of the back drop today and I feel that its coming together. We have to think of this as some thing seen from afar and although …read more.
Apr 20, 2020
Quintart Build – Part 1
Our new club EM gauge layout “Orchard Wharf” is in need of some stock, and one of the items asked for the peak hour passenger service is a Gresley Quintart set. Why and what is a Quintart – because they are rakes of 5 coach bodies, with only 6 bogies with the coaches articulating and …read more.
Apr 19, 2020
Cory Wagons – for Copenhagen Fields
Taking a break from building Goods and Mineral junction Signal Box for Copenhagen Fields, in times of crisis somehow wagons seem to spring to life almost of their own volition: these are four new private owners in a very part-built state, bodies more or less done but merely propped up on the under-carts in the …read more.
Apr 17, 2020
Building for Bow Junction
I’ve been working on the buildings for Bow Junction. I have built a foam board mock up of Bow Station building which will help us design the final model. I am at the moment making plastikard sections of the classical mouldings that adorn the building , with a view to having them cast in resin. …read more.
Apr 13, 2020
Copenhagen Fields getting ready for a photo shoot
The layout continues to develop, and its a good time for an update in one of the magazines, so we’ve got a photo shoot coming up this Friday 21st Feb which is a n added incentive to get some details completed. Before that we’ve got a running session on the Thursday evening from 7-9 – …read more.
Feb 15, 2020
Bow Junction – ready for another busy year
Bow Junction is our 7mm scale layout, which is being built to Scale 7 specification. The main difference from standard finescale 0 gauge is that the track gauge is 1 mm wider and the back to back dimension is 2mm greater. Also the thickness of the wheels is less than finescale 0 gauge. It is …read more.
Jan 11, 2020